“Since Day 1, the day I came home from Houston, the hope and motivation they gave me was astounding,” Bullitt said.

Through therapy he has been able to execute leg presses of up to 40 pounds and move his feet and his legs.

Videos shared on his Facebook page show Bullitt powering his legs forward on a treadmill while wearing a harness to reduce weight. Others show him powering forward using a walker

“With a spinal cord injury, it is a very slow process,” Bullitt said. “You don’t always notice day-to-day. I didn’t really notice for about a month. When I look back from now, I see I’ve come a long way. If I look back at my progress on walking, I couldn’t move my feet on my own…and now I can.”

Bullitt also is embracing other goals in the short-term, such as pushing himself through the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure this September.

"Last year, I went and my friends pushed me at the Susan G. Komen race," Bullitt said. "It meant a lot to me, because I was just out of the hospital, and this year I want to push myself."

A track chair has helped Bullitt continue to enjoy the outdoors. It can travel on all types of terrain and allows him to navigate to dog kennels and out buildings at his home.(Photo: Courtesy photo/Scott Bullitt Facebook)

He also plans to attend the Twin Cities Mayors’ Committee on Disabilities Awards Banquet on Tuesday, where he will be honored.

Watching a co-worker who battled Stage IV cancer live life to the fullest helped provide him with the strength he needed to move forward, and he hopes his story can help others facing challenges realize they can overcome obstacles.

“It’s an almost indescribable feeling,” Bullitt said. “...that the people who submitted the nomination thought enough of me to do that. The support from everyone is what has kept me going, and in my mind, I know if I am in this chair for the rest of my life, I will keep on going. I’m not going to fail because quitting is not an option.

"If you are in a wheelchair, your life doesn’t end. You can get out and go be social. My main goal is to live my life in such a way to inspire others to overcome things they are going through.”

He also encourages everyone who has provided him with hope through their support to continue to do so for others in need.

Recent events, such as the law enforcement officer shootings in Dallas, have brought back memories, and Bullitt said he cannot imagine what families who lost a loved one are going through.

“Prayers mean everything for those families,” he said. “You have no idea how much hope and support actually mean when you’re in a bad situation.”